The i<()iith Ai(str<ili(iH OrttithoJoiiicul Axsocial ion. lol 



mens of tlte IVcloi-al Hail { H i/ijotaciiidia philippcnsis) taken 

 Ht Paradise. lioth the female and the male birds have the 

 bnff band (»n the chest and white stripes over the eyes. The 

 yonnf; are black with red irides. Their nsnal food is tad- 

 l>oles, bnt tliey are also known to eat seeds and mice. The 

 owners of Wed;j,e Island state that these birds eat the domes- 

 ticated turkey's, e^'jjs. They can walk straight through two 

 inch wire-netting. The birds get very tame, and one year 

 there was a i)air in the Adelaide liotanic Garden. They nest 

 on dry ground near swamps, and also in crops. The Spotted 

 Cralce { I*(>r.:(iiia pinninea) is dark brown. sj)otted white on 

 the back, and leaden grey underneath. Si)ecimens were 

 shown taken at Paradise and Vorke Peninsula. These birds 

 may be seen at St. Kilda. The nest is of a neat cup shape, 

 made of rushes, and built over the M'ater. They are partial 

 to the sampliire. but are nevei* far from water. The Little 

 Crake ( J*orz(ina pdJut^trif^ ) is rusty-brown on the back, crown 

 blackish, and slaty-grey underneath. They live in fresh-water 

 .swamps, and, subsist on tadpoles and very small fish. Speci- 

 men shown was taken at Paradise. The Spotless ('rake ( For- 

 zana pluinhca) has salmon-coloured legs, is bright red 

 around the eyes, chocolate brown on back, and leaden grey 

 underneath. Tlie specimen was taken at Paradise. The Slate- 

 bi-^easted Rail (Ralhift prrtoralh) is also found in South Aus- 

 tralia. Di'. Morgan mentioned that he had seen sj)ecimens 

 of the above-mentioned live birds on . one swamj) near Kobe. 

 The other .«<j)ecies found in Australia are: — ^r'hestnut-bellied 

 Rail { Ei(J<thfornis (■(i^taneovenirii^] in Xorth-Western Austra- 

 lia, Northern Territory, and North Queensland ; Red necked 

 Rail {RiiUiiKi triroJor). in North Queensland; White-breasted 

 Crake ( PoJioVninuis cinerciifi) , in North- Western Australia 

 Northern Territory, and Queensland; Corncrake (Crrr crr.r), 

 one sfiecimen only has been seen in Australia, at Randwick, 

 N.S.W.. in ISO."), and it is almost certain to have been brought 

 out from England and liberated. Mr. Parsons also exhibited 

 s|>pcimens of the Prown Song-lark ( C/»r/o/7/r/ /?//>/»?/.<! crurdli.^), 

 known to boys as " cock-tu-eeler." from its song. Specimens 

 taken at P>righton and Outer Harbour; Rufous Song-lark {('in 

 clorhamphns riifc^ermi), specimen from Port Oermein ; Eng- 

 lish Skylark (AhnuUi (irrciisis), s]iecimen from Cilles Plains 

 (this bii-d is increasing around Adelaide) ; r^\ss<M' P>ush lark 

 (Mirafrn .^rrunda), S]»ecimens from St. Kilda and Gilles Plains: 

 (this bird soars high in the air and rivals the English Sky- 

 lark in it.s beautiful song) ; Horsfi<'ld's liush-lark iMirafra 

 horfificldi), specimen from Mount Compass. A Field Wren 



